In Reality We Trust
by QuinntheEskimo
Summary: What do you do when you run into a stranger on the street, and then you learn your whole life is a lie? a TV special? Axel's finding out. AkuRoku. Side Pairings-SoKai, SoRiku, Zemyx, and a few surprises. M for Violence and Mild Sexual Content.
1. Shaking Axel's Reality

Summary- What do you do when you run into a stranger on the street, and then you learn your whole life is a lie? Axel's finding out. AkuRoku. M for Violence and Mild Sexual Content.

AN- this story was greatly inspired by an absolutely awesome movie called The Truman Show. If you've never seen it, go watch it. Its a great story, and it makes a great point about society and our all-consuming need to be nosy. It also happens to be the only movie with Jim Carey that I actually like. Its not comedy... which is why I like it. Call me crazy if you wish, but I just don't find Jim Carey funny.

Anyways, enough of my rambling. I hope y'all enjoy!

Warnings- Swearing. Some might say there is an excessive amount, but hey, I figure, if I was in Axel's situation here, I would be doing an excessive amount of swearing, too.

Disclaimers- Nope. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

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Axel stepped out of the brick apartment building and into the pouring rain. _Well, shit,_ he thought to himself. _Why does it have to pour for the first time in a month on the ONE day I have to look good?_ His umbrella was up, but it did little to prevent the rain splashing up, soaking his khakis. He stepped gingerly around the puddles, hoping to avoid the worst of it. His interview was in a half an hour, and he desperately needed the job. Being an artist was all fine and good, but he needed something to pay the bills until he was able to get his graphic novel published. He had hoped to be in the editing process by now, but so far, he'd struck out.

Lost in his private musing, he didn't even notice the blonde until he was almost on top of him, and by then, it was too late to step out of the guys path. He was running full tilt, and crashed straight into Axel, knocking them both to the ground.

"Oh, my God, I'm so sorry!" the blonde exclaimed. "But please, can you help me? I need to hide! Please!"

Picking himself up off the ground, his entire back soaked, Axel could only stare, dumbfounded at the scared-looking man before him.

"Please! They'll be here soon!" the stranger cried, looking more and more alarmed.

Without pausing to think it through, he said "follow me," and began jogging back to his apartment.

"Oh thank you, but shit, we gotta hurry!"

Axel just grunted and hurried up the steps to his building. The blonde followed him up to his apartment, where Axel paused, realizing just how crazy an idea this might be. He turned to the stranger and asked, "Why the hell am I helping you? Who are you? And who are you running from?"

"I'll explain in a moment!" the blonde exclaimed, panicking. "I'll tell you everything, just please, let me in and lock the door!"

Axel sighed. He couldn't very well just leave the poor guy here. He might really be in trouble. Besides, Axel was a lot bigger than the scrawny guy. If it came to a fight, Axel was pretty sure he could take him. "Why am I doing this to myself..." Axel grumbled as he let the blonde guy in and locked the door.

Axel's apartment was small, but cozy. The little kitchen was tidy, the living room was sparse, with only a couch, a small TV, and a large worktable. The worktable was covered in the detritus of an artists craft, and half finished panels and pencil sketches were strewn about. Beside the table on the floor sat graphic novels, mangas, and books on drawing and composition. Beyond the table, though, the room was quite tidy.

The blonde strode into the room, headed straight for the desk. He picked up the lamp, examined it, and then pulled of the base. He yanked some wires out of it and then put it down. He was headed for the kitchen when Axel stopped him.

"What the hell are you doing? I don't even _know_ you! You cant just come in and start breaking my shit after I just saved your ass!" Axel demanded, but the blonde just ignored him completely, continuing to the toaster, which he picked up and slammed down, shattering the knob. "What the _fuck_!" Axel screamed.

"You'll thank me for it after I explain a few things to you, Axel." the blond said, reaching up to the ceiling light and popping of the decorative knob on the bottom of the shade. Axel just stood there dumbstruck as he dropped it on the floor and ground it under his heel. He grabbed a magnet off the fridge and slammed it into the counter. "There, I think that's all of them in this room."

Axel just continued to stare. "How do you know my name...? Who _are _you_?_"

The stranger looked him dead in the eye fro the first time. "My name is Roxas Allen. And this city is not what you think." he said. Axel just looked at him, still completely dumbfounded. The blonde sighed and continued. "There are certain people here, like you, who are being used. Each of the things that I smashed, they were here before you moved in, were they not?"

Axel went to reply, but the stranger continued, seeming to not actually want an answer. "And in each of them there was a hidden camera. Unknown to you and a few others in this place, your entire life is being watched, and controlled, for the viewing public. Your a damn TV show, Axel, and you don't even know it. That job interview you were headed to? You wouldn't have gotten the job. Your the 'starving artist' and you need to look pitiful. that's why you haven't gotten a single on of the dozen jobs that you've applied for. And that's why every time you try to send out your manuscript, it gets confiscated in the post office and thrown out, so that you wont go anywhere."

Finally Axel found his voice again. "What the fuck! This is crazy! Is this some kind of sick prank? Or are you a fucking stalker or something? Because I swear to Go-"

"How many times have you left the city by yourself in the last year, Axel?" the blonde cut him off.

The redhead glared. "I don't see how this-"

"Just answer the question."

"Well, three weeks ago I went to my parents house-"

"With Larxene Tucker, from down the hall. She drove you to their house, saying she had to go that direction anyway, correct?"

"Yeah, but I don't have a car, and its expensive to rent-"

"And before that?"

"Well... a few moths ago, I went to that concert in-"

"In Traverse Town, with Zexion and Xion Kantz, the couple that live on the floor below you. It was an outdoor concert, and you got rained out. You haven't been outside of this city completely by yourself since you moved here, have you?"

"Well... no. I guess not. But how-?"

"I'll tell you in a minute. First, you need to realize that there is something seriously weird going on here. Your whole life since the day you moved here has been a lie. Almost everyone you meet is a paid actor. Your a reality TV star, and you don't even realize it."

"Lets say this is true, and you not just a crazy stalker screwing with me. Whats the point? Why would someone go to such elaborate lengths to create a television show?

"Because Axel, the American people were becoming bored with the scripted reality shows that were on the air. Ratings were going down. Companies were losing money. Then one day, a producer came forward with an idea. What about a truly _real _reality show? If the people don't know they're on camera, they'll be more real, more lifelike, more _likeable_. And so, The Twilight Town Project was born. For seven years, the production company built this city from the ground up, making it pretty, bringing in actors, creating the perfect set. And then, they found the stars. People like you, Axel. People to move into the city, unaware of the cameras. Didn't you ever stop tot think that it was strange that you moved in with that guy Demyx, and then you came home two months later and he was completely gone?"

"Yeah, it was weird, but he was never really happy here, so I just figured he'd had enough."

"He was fired, Axel. He felt awful about lying you your face every day. He planned on telling you the truth. So the bigwigs removed the problem. They packed up all his stuff and sent him on his merry way."

"This is incredible..." Axel sat down on the couch, pushing his fingers through his red hair. "But why me? Why was I picked?"

Roxas grimaced. "Because, Axel... that producer? The one whose idea this whole thing was? He's your godfather, Xemnas."

Axel's head shot up. "What? Xemnas hasn't even talked to my parents in over-"

"Over a year, right? That's because your parents didn't like the way he was using you, his own godson." Roxas looked at Axel gently, his voice softened. "But then your mom got sick, right? And your parents were really strapped for cash. He paid them a hell of a lot of money, and they grudgingly allowed you to become part of the show."

"My god... but my parents never said a thing! I can't believe they wouldn't even _try_ to-"

"Believe it." Roxas interrupted. He looked sad. "If they breathed a word to you, they would lose all the money Xemnas ever gave them. The money they needed for her treatments. It was in the contract. He's blackmailing them."

"I cant believe all this! Xemnas couldn't use someone like that! His own godson! He's been family since the day I was born!" Axel couldn't even process everything being thrown in his face.

"Xemnas is a heartless sonofabitch who could, would, and is using anything and everything available, family or not." Roxas said derisively. He looked at his watch, and looked back, worried. "We need to get out of here, Axel. There will be people here any minute to get rid of me, to convince you I'm a fucking lunatic. Do you trust me?"

"... I don't even know... how do I even know this isn't some kind of elaborate joke?"

Roxas gave a growl of frustration. "AXEL! WAKE UP!" the blonde screamed at him. "I'm trying to save you! Please, just come with me! I'll answer all your other questions and if you still think I'm full of shit, you can always walk away. But we have to go. NOW!"

The blonde strode over to him and held out his hand. "Please, Axel, lets go."

Axel looked at Roxas for a second. The nervous, worried look on Roxas' face made Axel want to go with him, just to make that look disappear.

_I must have lost my fucking mind..._

He took the offered hand.

Suddenly, there was a banging on the door. "Shit! It's them! Quick, out the fire escape!" the blonde pulled him towards the window.

Axel paused for a second, unsure. But then he heard the voices outside the door.

"Axel, don't listen to that crazy bastard!"

"Don't do anything stupid, man."

"Let us in, we wont hurt you."

He just shook his head, looked to Roxas, and said the five words that would change everything.

"I believe you. Lets go."

Roxas grabbed his hand and ducked out the window into the rain.

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Watch for the next chapter, guys, it'll be up in the next couple days. Let me know what you think!


	2. Up on the Clock Tower

Summary- What do you do when you run into a stranger on the street, and then you learn your whole life is a lie? Axel's finding out. AkuRoku. M for Violence and Mild Sexual Content.

AN- here we go! Chapter two! Thanks for all the reviews last chapter, guys! I appreciate it!

So BTW, updates might be a little bit slow, because I just got a new job, so Imma be working quite a bit, since its actually full time for once. But I promise, I will update as soon as I can!

Warnings- nothing really, for this chapter. Its mostly just dialogue. Sorry. This whole beginning segment will be kinda low on action.

Disclaimers- things I own: a million books, a few KH ringtones on my phone, and the main plot to this story. Things I don't own: Axel, Roxas, and any other miscellaneous KH and FF characters included here.

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Looking back, Axel couldn't have even said for sure he remembered running away. All he recalled was the rain, and Roxas' hand in his own, and the blind fear and rage. When Roxas finally stopped running, it was to pound on a door. Axel want even sure where they were in the city any more, but they'd been running for a long time. The building before there was plain gray stone, with high windows that looked as if they'd been blacked out. The door was the only entrance Axel could see.

"God damn it, Sora, hurry up!" Roxas whispered fiercely.

"Who's Sora?" Axel asked.

Roxas said nothing and just pounded on the door some more.

Finally, Axel heard a click, and then a fuzzy female voice on an intercom. "Who is it?"

Roxas turned to the panel beside the door, that Axel hadn't noticed before, and pushed a button. "Its me, Rikku. I got him. Open the damn door!"

"Okie dokie! I'll send Yuffie!" she said cheerily.

Roxas rolled his eyes. "They should know better than to let Rikku man the intercoms. She'll let anyone in."

They stood in silence for a moment, until they heard a creaking noise from behind the door. "Finally," Roxas breathed.

They heard a loud click, and then the door swung open. A petite black-haired girl stood on the other side, gesturing wildly. "Get in here Roxas, before someone sees you!"

Roxas grabbed Axel by the hand again and pulled him in the door, grumbling. "That's what I've been trying to do, if someone had answered the damn door."

The stranger and Roxas let him into the door, which revealed a second door, and then a dim hallway. "Sorry about that, Roxas. But we had a bit of trouble while you were out, and-"

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?" Roxas demanded.

"Sora was seen out getting supplies, and-"

"God damn it, does nobody listen to me? Sora can't be out and about! The company thinks they got rid of him, and if he's gonna be any help here, its gotta stay that way!"

The girl said nothing.

Axel looked at the blonde, and then back to the girl before him. "Does he cut everyone off like that?" Axel asked.

Roxas glared and the girl snorted with laughter. "Look at that, Roxas, he's got you figured out already!" she laughed. "I'm Yuffie, by the way."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Axel."

"I know! Demyx and Roxas have been working out the best way to get you out for a while." she said cheerily.

Axel stopped walking. "Demyx? As in my roommate who left, Demyx?"

"Yep!"

"Holy crap, I miss that guy! Is he here?" he asked excitedly.

Yuffie laughed again. "Yeah, he's down in the cafeteria! Come on!"

Axel started following. It wasn't until then that he realized that he still had Roxas' hand in his, because the blonde let go. "Go ahead." Roxas said blandly. "I'll meet you later." the blonde turned away and headed towards one of the hallways leading off of the main.

Axel looked back at him, confused. "Whats wrong, Roxas? You're just gonna ditch me? I still have questions to ask you."

The blonde looked at him, expressionless. "Ask Demyx your questions."

Axel grabbed him by the hand. "Oh, no. you got me into this mess, and your stuck with me till I know everything that's going on. I can see Demyx later."

Roxas stopped for a second, and then said over his shoulder to Yuffie, "I'll see you later. Axel and I are gonna go discuss stuff... I'll show him around later."

Surprise flickered across Yuffie's face. But then it was replaced by her customary grin. "Well, I'll see you later, then! I'll tell Sora and the others that your back!"

"You don't have to. Rikku was on the intercom. Everybody will already know." Roxas replied.

Yuffie laughed. "You're right there, Rox. See ya later!" she bounced down the hallway and out of sight.

Roxas pulled on Axel's hand. "Come here." he said. He opened a door and led Axel into the dark again. The blonde flicked a light, revealing steps down leading into another hallway.

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They followed a maze of hallways, until Axel wasn't sure he'd even be able to find his way back out again if he had to.

"Just how big is this place?" Axel asked.

"We're underneath the street now, actually. This was originally used in beginning production to get technicians around the city unseen. But it became easier, over time, to simply do everything from the main office on the computerized system, so these tunnels are pretty much empty. Besides, we're underneath the clock tower now, and no one ever goes there anyways." Roxas shrugged. "We're fairly safe here. These passages are a labyrinth if you don't know them well."

"And you know them well, I take it?" Axel asked cautiously.

Roxas lead him through a door and up a set of stairs. "I'll tell you everything in a minute, okay? Lets just get where we're going."

Axel just fell silent, following the enigmatic blonde up the stairs.

They went up and up for what seemed like an eternity. They finally reached the top of the stairs, and Roxas opened a door, which, surprisingly, lead outside. The rain had stopped, and the sun was setting. Axel realized that they were at the top of the clock tower in town. Roxas led him out onto the wide walkway beneath the clock face, hedged in by a short wall. He sat down against the stone, gesturing for Axel to do the same. From their vantage point, they could see for miles

"Up here is about one of the safest places in Twilight Town. The cameras up here all point outwards, since the only way to get up here is from the tunnels. And nobody can see you from the street or any of the adjoining buildings, because they wanted the techs to be able to make repairs without being seen."

Axel turned to Roxas. "So, how do you know so much about all this? How are you involved in this project, Roxas?" he asked softly.

Roxas smiled bitterly. "You cut right to the chase don't you?" he looked out at the sunset. "You're right, I started out as a part of the project. I was a tech, the clock tower tech, to be exact. It was my job to keep track of the feeds and make repairs when necessary. You see, every episode of the Twilight Town Project starts with a shot from the clock tower, an overview of the city..." Roxas paused, and looked sadly at Axel. "It wasn't for a while that I actually learned everything that was going on here. They hired me as a tech, and they didn't explain everything to a lowly peon like me." he looked away again, glowering. "When I found out the truth, what they were doing to innocent people, people like you... I decided to get out. But then I met Sora. He's really the one who started this group of ours. We're called DISorder, and we're committed to bringing down this project, one piece at a time."

Axel just stared out at the setting sun, trying to process everything. "So... how many other people have you rescued from this project?"

"You're the second of the 'stars' we've gotten out of the show. Riku was the first, and we have plans in the works for two more, Xion and Tifa." he grimaced. "that's what they call you guys. You're stars, just television prodigies, and you have no say in anything."

"wait a minute, Xion my downstairs neighbor? She's a star too? But what about her husband, Zexion?"

Roxas said nothing.

"You're kidding me, right? Please tell me Zexion isn't just acting. Tel me he didn't just marry her for the show..." Axel felt himself tearing up. _That poor girl, she's so sweet._

"Not quite. He really does care about her. But he does know about the project. He's working with us to remove her from the project. But... he's trying to keep his marriage, too. That's why she's still there. He loves her, but he knows he's going to lose her if he tells her the truth. And she's happy here. She finally has her own business, and they have everything they want. He doesn't want to tell her the truth. But..."

"But he feels guilty." Axel stated.

"...Yeah. Its killing him to lie to her." Roxas said sadly.

Axel was quiet for a moment. "I never wanted any of this shit. I just wanted to be an artist." he mourned.

Roxas looked Axel dead in the eye. "I know. that's why we're doing this."

They stared, silently, for a moment. Axel still wasn't sure what he thought of the angry little blonde, but he was grateful. So very grateful, to have been saved from something he hadn't even been aware was happening.

Roxas opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly, the door behind him burst open. A brunette with blue eyes popped out, and immediately started to talk excitedly. "Hi! You must be Axel! I'm so glad we finally got you out. It's all Dem and Roxy have been talking about for weeks! I'm just glad your out of the project now, and you can make up your own mind about things! I'm Sora, and I'm kinda sorta in charge here, with Roxy and Diz, anyways, and I hate to interrupt you guys, but its dinnertime, and plus other people wanna meet you, and Roxy has appointments that he skipped out on to come up here and talk to you, and I just-"

"Sora." Roxas growled. "Shut the hell up."

For the first time in the hours since Axel had met Roxas, he was actually grateful for the blondes ability to shut people up.

"I'll... I'll meet you guys in the cafeteria. See ya!" the brunette ducked back into the door quickly.

Roxas glared at the door, and then just shook his head. "Sorry about that. He gets so damn excited, he forgets how obnoxious he is. Especially around people he's just meeting." Roxas stood up and held out a hand to Axel. "Lets go."

Axel accepted the help, and standing beside Roxas, it occurred to him just how short the blonde was. _Well, when you 6'3", most everyone's short, but he's spectacularly so..._

Roxas glanced up. "I'm five foot six and a half." he said flatly. Axel jolted a bit. "And no, I'm not a psychic or anything, I'm just really used to that look."

Axel grinned. "That's okay, I'm used to being the tall red-haired freak."

Roxas' mouth upturned slightly as he pulled the door open. "Lets go on down. I imagine your hungry."

Axel's rumbling stomach answered the question for him.

Then Roxas smiled for real.

_He should smile more often. Its beautiful..._

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How was it? Any questions about the story? Let me know!


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